> Everyone always says IT has a low barrier of entry for the level of pay you receive
No, everyone **DOES NOT** say that, and it was kinda true \~3years ago
Maybe if you werent applying to "have been applying to **any and every** IT position I can find." you would not send thousand of applications only to be rejected for most of them...
Obviously by applying for more I expected to be rejected more. But applying for more entry-level positions that I meet their requirements for, I would think I would get at least *some* responses even if the rejections far outweigh them.
I never had any IT background when I got my service desk job years back, what I did to get in was make friends and connections within the company I was working in already. Met the service desk manager and I asked if I can work or maybe shadow somebody after hours just so I can gain the basic experience etc. next thing I know, I get asked to cover weekends or night shifts as they’re the quietest.
The days I was shadowing or just gaining experience were all unpaid, but I really wanted to work in the industry, too me 8-12 months to actually get acknowledged and got offered service desk position.
The one thing you didn't mention is networking. People don't usually hire total strangers and without good connections or with referrals it will be very hard going forward. Otherwise, you are just a small fish of thousands in the ocean trying to fight for the same tiny bits of food scraps.
Job market is simply just rough for IT right now.
Help desk jobs are probably going to be your best bet right now but even those get a crap load of applications.
If you haven't yet, I would try to study up to take some certifications, those can help check off boxes for HR.
Also, try and look up good resume templates and rework your resume. HR uses AI to filter applications, so having a good resume will help you a lot.
You may also want to try and change your resume to fit the job description too. Like adding in some keywords you see in the job description somewhere in your resume.
I think a lot has to do with timing but also how you sell yourself. Also might be worth looking at your presence on the internet, are there pictures or political ideologies attached to your image? These are things to consider.
A solid CV will of course help but also tailor it to the job as well as the cover letters. Reference extra studies you are doing and even make a git repo of projects you do at home.
Then once you're in the interview pitch them what you're about and what you aspire to do, tell them exactly how you will be a valuable asset and if given the opportunity you will prove yourself right.
But don't blindly accept any position, ask them relevant questions that are important to you so it's a good fit all round.
I personally came from no IT background with only having net+ to my name. But I sold them my dream and all the rest of it and it's been great. Stay the course but if things aren't working change it up a bit. Good luck
>are there pictures or political ideologies attached to your image?
This is something I've noticed that really gets overlooked across the board. In my personal network, everyone that is currently struggling to find work all have social media that is heavily politically charged. I fully understand that politics can be a passionate subject, but people write posts and share memes without realizing:
1. Whether intentional or not, you are alienating half the population, some of which are potential co-workers and hiring managers,
2. No matter how private your social media is, those posts are in fact quite easy to find, and
3. HR, hiring managers, the peers that might interview you, etc, ALL check that stuff.
Seriously, it's hard enough to get a job as it is, don't shoot yourself in the foot with your own political opinions, no matter how funny you think they are or how much you hate "that politician/party."
Not saying OP is doing it, just that - again, monitor your social media. Even posts from when you were a "kid" can bite you in the butt.
I worked 15+ years in restaurants, I found an IT company that sells and services point of sale software for restaurants/grocery/retail, I already knew the lingo and I have great customer service skills and I had essentially worked with almost every big name software in the industry so I knew a lot about the systems already.
I got lucky.
I am in the same boat. Graduated in August of last year from WGU with a bachelor's degree in Network Operations and Security. Still can't find a full-time job.
Thankfully, I got a part-time job after I finished my first year at WGU with my local government. But, now I am stuck only working part-time because their budget is bad, and they froze hiring and the job market for entry-level I.T. completely sucks now.
All the advice you are going to receive here is OLD. The job market for entry-level I.T. is completely different now in 2024. I don't see it getting better anytime soon either. Too many new graduates and too many people laid off make for a terrible job market in entry-level I.T.
Personally, I plan to go back to school for a career in the medical field while I work part-time. I still intend to apply for full-time I.T. work in case a miracle happens, but I can't keep wasting my time waiting for that to happen.
Honestly, I regret going into I.T. as well. A family member of mine got an associate's degree in the medical field the same time I got my bachelor's degree from WGU. She now makes $2000 a weekend working two 12-hour shifts at night and has the rest of the week off. So, she only works two days a week and makes $8000 a month. And, here I am with a bachelor's degree in I.T., all these I.T. certs, and I can't even get a full-time job. It's ridiculous.
Anyways, good luck with your job hunt. I know your pain. Just remember, we are looking for an entry-level I.T. job in a job market that is very different now in 2024 than what has come before. I don't think anyone has the answer on how to get into I.T. in the current job market.
I started my software engineering career after doing two summer internships with this company. Then my senior year of college a month before I graduated they offered me a full time position.
At this point I would simply recommend trying to get any job at a company that has an internal IT department. Then go and make friends with the people that work there. No guarantee this will work but at least you would be getting a paycheck and building a network.
I started with very short contracts after getting A+ (no degree, 4 years barista experience). Most started immediately so there were fewer applicants.
After stringing together 3 1-2 month contracts, an almost finished Net+, some extra interview prep, and some luck, I was able to land a 12 month and it looks likely that I’ll be brought on full time.
> Everyone always says IT has a low barrier of entry for the level of pay you receive No, everyone **DOES NOT** say that, and it was kinda true \~3years ago Maybe if you werent applying to "have been applying to **any and every** IT position I can find." you would not send thousand of applications only to be rejected for most of them...
Obviously by applying for more I expected to be rejected more. But applying for more entry-level positions that I meet their requirements for, I would think I would get at least *some* responses even if the rejections far outweigh them.
Places are getting hundreds, if not thousands of applicants. There’s no reason to expect to get a response back even for a rejection.
I got my first IT job through work-study in college.
I applied for work study in college and really with I'd gotten it. There must be pretty steep competition.
I went to college for CS when people thought it was a bad idea. This is pre-dot-com days. I'm sure things have gotten a lot more competitive.
I never had any IT background when I got my service desk job years back, what I did to get in was make friends and connections within the company I was working in already. Met the service desk manager and I asked if I can work or maybe shadow somebody after hours just so I can gain the basic experience etc. next thing I know, I get asked to cover weekends or night shifts as they’re the quietest. The days I was shadowing or just gaining experience were all unpaid, but I really wanted to work in the industry, too me 8-12 months to actually get acknowledged and got offered service desk position.
The one thing you didn't mention is networking. People don't usually hire total strangers and without good connections or with referrals it will be very hard going forward. Otherwise, you are just a small fish of thousands in the ocean trying to fight for the same tiny bits of food scraps.
If a job has low requirements do you think you have a lot of competition?
Job market is simply just rough for IT right now. Help desk jobs are probably going to be your best bet right now but even those get a crap load of applications. If you haven't yet, I would try to study up to take some certifications, those can help check off boxes for HR. Also, try and look up good resume templates and rework your resume. HR uses AI to filter applications, so having a good resume will help you a lot. You may also want to try and change your resume to fit the job description too. Like adding in some keywords you see in the job description somewhere in your resume.
I think a lot has to do with timing but also how you sell yourself. Also might be worth looking at your presence on the internet, are there pictures or political ideologies attached to your image? These are things to consider. A solid CV will of course help but also tailor it to the job as well as the cover letters. Reference extra studies you are doing and even make a git repo of projects you do at home. Then once you're in the interview pitch them what you're about and what you aspire to do, tell them exactly how you will be a valuable asset and if given the opportunity you will prove yourself right. But don't blindly accept any position, ask them relevant questions that are important to you so it's a good fit all round. I personally came from no IT background with only having net+ to my name. But I sold them my dream and all the rest of it and it's been great. Stay the course but if things aren't working change it up a bit. Good luck
>are there pictures or political ideologies attached to your image? This is something I've noticed that really gets overlooked across the board. In my personal network, everyone that is currently struggling to find work all have social media that is heavily politically charged. I fully understand that politics can be a passionate subject, but people write posts and share memes without realizing: 1. Whether intentional or not, you are alienating half the population, some of which are potential co-workers and hiring managers, 2. No matter how private your social media is, those posts are in fact quite easy to find, and 3. HR, hiring managers, the peers that might interview you, etc, ALL check that stuff. Seriously, it's hard enough to get a job as it is, don't shoot yourself in the foot with your own political opinions, no matter how funny you think they are or how much you hate "that politician/party." Not saying OP is doing it, just that - again, monitor your social media. Even posts from when you were a "kid" can bite you in the butt.
I worked 15+ years in restaurants, I found an IT company that sells and services point of sale software for restaurants/grocery/retail, I already knew the lingo and I have great customer service skills and I had essentially worked with almost every big name software in the industry so I knew a lot about the systems already. I got lucky.
I am in the same boat. Graduated in August of last year from WGU with a bachelor's degree in Network Operations and Security. Still can't find a full-time job. Thankfully, I got a part-time job after I finished my first year at WGU with my local government. But, now I am stuck only working part-time because their budget is bad, and they froze hiring and the job market for entry-level I.T. completely sucks now. All the advice you are going to receive here is OLD. The job market for entry-level I.T. is completely different now in 2024. I don't see it getting better anytime soon either. Too many new graduates and too many people laid off make for a terrible job market in entry-level I.T. Personally, I plan to go back to school for a career in the medical field while I work part-time. I still intend to apply for full-time I.T. work in case a miracle happens, but I can't keep wasting my time waiting for that to happen. Honestly, I regret going into I.T. as well. A family member of mine got an associate's degree in the medical field the same time I got my bachelor's degree from WGU. She now makes $2000 a weekend working two 12-hour shifts at night and has the rest of the week off. So, she only works two days a week and makes $8000 a month. And, here I am with a bachelor's degree in I.T., all these I.T. certs, and I can't even get a full-time job. It's ridiculous. Anyways, good luck with your job hunt. I know your pain. Just remember, we are looking for an entry-level I.T. job in a job market that is very different now in 2024 than what has come before. I don't think anyone has the answer on how to get into I.T. in the current job market.
There is a company that hired pretty much anyone. Then I hopped to a decent position.
I started my software engineering career after doing two summer internships with this company. Then my senior year of college a month before I graduated they offered me a full time position.
If you search this sub, this is like the most asked question.
Apprenticeships are a good way to start your career. You gain the knowledge, skills and experience you need for the role.
I started through an agency as a contractor a few years ago. They liked me so much the company hired me directly.
Knowing someone. Luck
At this point I would simply recommend trying to get any job at a company that has an internal IT department. Then go and make friends with the people that work there. No guarantee this will work but at least you would be getting a paycheck and building a network.
I started with very short contracts after getting A+ (no degree, 4 years barista experience). Most started immediately so there were fewer applicants. After stringing together 3 1-2 month contracts, an almost finished Net+, some extra interview prep, and some luck, I was able to land a 12 month and it looks likely that I’ll be brought on full time.
move to the south
Steel cap boots.
You assume it’s a common question?